Prayer for 9/11 (2005)

"I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety."
Psalm 4:8

As we remember the pain and loss of 9/11
And as we mourn the recent deaths in Madrid, London, Egypt, Iraq,
We struggle not to give in to the "logic of violence, hatred and revenge,"
As John Paul II, our Pastor of Peace, challenged us.

We struggle not to let ourselves be overcome by the fear
That leads us to withdraw from the problems of the world.
We search for security outside of the Sacred,
But there is no safe place to hide, no weapons that cannot be turned against us.

We are called to live in troubled times.
We are called to step onto Sacred ground, the here and the now.
We are called to be open to the reality of this world,
We are called to seek a just and peaceful global community.

May God give us light in the darkness of our hearts.
May God dry the tears of those who mourn.
May God, our only true security, be the ground on which
We are rooted, growing toward the sun, growing toward the ways of peace.

We remember, we mourn, and we affirm the dignity of our sisters and brothers everywhere
As we strive to become one global community of solidarity, equality, and peace. Amen.